Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common brain disorders in the world, affecting millions of people and their families.
It is a condition that mainly harms the brain cells that control movement, mood, memory, and thinking. People with Parkinson’s often experience shaking, stiffness in the body, slow movement, and difficulty with balance.
Over time, many patients also develop memory loss and problems with clear thinking, which can progress into dementia. For many years, scientists have known what Parkinson’s looks like, but they have struggled to fully understand why it happens, especially in its most common form.
Now, a groundbreaking study from researchers at the University of Copenhagen has taken a big step forward in answering this question. Their work has revealed an important problem happening inside brain cells that may be the main cause of this disease.
At the center of their discovery is the mitochondria, which are tiny structures inside every cell that act like power plants. Mitochondria produce the energy that cells need to function, grow, repair themselves, and stay alive. Without healthy mitochondria, cells become weak and eventually die.
In a healthy body, damaged mitochondria are removed and replaced with new and working ones. This cleaning and recycling process is very important, especially in brain cells, because the brain depends on a constant supply of energy.
However, the scientists found that in many people with Parkinson’s disease, this cleaning system is blocked. Because of this blockage, damaged mitochondria start to pile up inside the cells. As more and more broken mitochondria collect, the cell’s ability to produce energy drops sharply. Over time, the lack of energy causes the neurons, or nerve cells, to slowly die.
As these neurons die, the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease begin to appear and worsen. Movement becomes harder, thinking becomes slower, and memory problems may start to develop.
In many patients, this gradual loss of brain cells eventually leads to dementia, which is when a person loses the ability to remember, think clearly, and carry out daily tasks independently.
What surprised the scientists the most was what caused this blockage in the first place. The problem turned out to be linked to certain immune-related genes. These genes are normally part of the body’s defense system and help fight off viruses and infections.
They played an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping the body recognize and respond to the virus. However, the new study shows that these same genes are also deeply connected to how brain cells manage and use their energy.
When these immune genes do not work properly, they interfere with the process that clears away damaged mitochondria. This stops the normal cleaning system inside the brain cells.
Some mutations in these genes have even been linked to more severe cases of COVID-19, which shows how important they are for both the immune system and brain health. This unexpected connection between immunity and energy production in the brain has opened a completely new area of research.
To reach these conclusions, the researchers studied brain tissue from people with Parkinson’s disease and compared it to healthy brain tissue. They analyzed gene activity patterns in the neurons and looked for changes that were especially common in patients who also developed dementia.
One protein, known as PIAS2, was found in unusually high amounts in these patients. This protein appears to play a key role in the blockage of the pathway that should normally remove damaged mitochondria. The high level of PIAS2 suggests that it could be a major target for future treatments.
This discovery is extremely important for the future of Parkinson’s research. By identifying a clear problem and a specific pathway involved in the disease, scientists can now begin to design new treatments that aim to remove the blockage and restore normal energy production in brain cells.
If damaged mitochondria can be cleared away again, it may be possible to slow down, or even stop, the death of neurons. This could delay the progression of symptoms and reduce the risk of dementia in people with Parkinson’s disease.
Although this research is still at an early stage, it brings new hope. Scientists will now explore whether this same blockage also appears in other types of Parkinson’s disease that run in families. If similar problems are found, the same type of treatment could potentially help a wide range of patients.
The University of Copenhagen’s study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, has given the scientific community an entirely new direction to explore.
By revealing how a blockage in the cell’s energy system may drive one of the world’s most challenging brain diseases, the researchers have opened the door to more precise and effective treatments in the future. This breakthrough could one day change the lives of millions of people living with Parkinson’s disease and their loved ones who care for them.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies that Vitamin B may slow down cognitive decline, and Mediterranean diet could help lower risk of Parkinson’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that blueberry supplements may prevent cognitive decline, and results showing Plant-based diets could protect cognitive health from air pollution.
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